Surgical operating-cushion.



No. 759,084. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904 A. 0. EGGBRS & E. STAHL.

SURGICAL OPERATING CUSHION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 No. 759,084. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

. A. G. EGGERS & E. STAHL.

SURGICAL OPERATING CUSHION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 1903. no MODEL Z-SEEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ANTON C. EGGERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ERASMUS STAHL, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO GOODYEARS INDIA RUBBER GLOVE MFG. CO., OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SURGICAL OPERATING-CUSHION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,084, dated May 3, 1904:.

Application filed May 16,1903. Serial No. 157,426. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ANTON C. Eeenns, residing in New York, borough of Manhattan, and State of New York, and ERAsMUs STAI-IL, residing in Naugatuek, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgical Operating-Cushions, of which the following is a specification.

Surgical operating-cushions have heretofore been made with an inflated ring-shaped bulb and a web between said ring-shaped bulb and extending forwardly at the open end of the bulb, which extension or apron serves for conducting any blood, pus, 620., into a receptacle arranged below the same for preventing the soiling of the bed or other supporting means on which the patient is placed. These cushions had the disadvantage that they could not be properly cleaned by the usual antiseptics, for the reason that the cleaning fluid could not properly enter into the corners formed between the bottom web and the inflated ring-shaped bulb, so that it could not be kept in an absolutely clean condition, as required for surgical operations.

Our invention is designed to overcome the objections of the cushion heretofore in use and to furnish a cushion which can be conveniently and thoroughly cleaned and in which the apron that forms an extension of the cushion can be set to the proper shape, so as to form a gutter-shaped conduit for the liquid matter; and for this purpose the invention consists of a surgical operating-cushion which comprises a ringshaped cushion, means for inflating the same, a bottom web connected with the circumference of the cushion, and an apron forming an extension of the bottom and provided with transverse flexible reinforcing-strips for permitting the adjustment of the cushion into gutter-like shape, as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of our improved surgical operating cushion in position for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the cushion proper. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section through the flexible apron, showing the shaping-strips of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of our improved surgical operating-cushion in position for use. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa perspective view of another modified form of our improved cushion. Fig. 8 is a vertical longi tudinal section thereof; and Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on line 9 9, Fig. 6, or on line 9 9, Fig. 8.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cushion which is made of soft rubber in the usual manner and provided with a tube 25, having a valved mouthpiece m for inflating the same. The cushion A is made of ring shape and open at one part of its circumference. The cushion A is connected with the bottom web B by an intermediatepiece C, which connects the edge of the bottom web B with the inner circumference of the cushion A. The bottom web B is connected with an extension or apron D at that point where the ring-shaped cushion A is open, which apron is connected by folding pieces (5 with the apron. The apron is of sufficient length so as to hang over the edge of the operating-table, bed, or other support on which the patient is placed down to a suitable receptacle R for receiving the blood or other matter running ofl' from the operating-cushion.

The apron is provided at suitable distances with transverse leaden, zinc, or other suitable metal strips 0, which serve for the purpose of imparting a concave or gutter shape to the apron, so that the running oil of the liquid from the apron is prevented when the same is conducted into the receptacle below. The flexible strips 0 are preferably made of lead or other suitable metal that permits the bending of the apron into suitable shape.

'hen the bottom web is to be cleaned, it is passed from the outer side of the ring-shaped cushion through the same to the other side, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then thoroughly cleaned. By simply inverting the cushion it may be again used, in which case the side of the bottoniweb which was the outer side as used before now becomes the inner side. Thus the operating-cushion can be used on either side by passing the bottom web through the ring-shaped cushion and by bending the flexible strips 6 in reverse direction, so as to reestablish the gutter shape of the same. means of turning the bottom web inside out the cushion may be said to be invertible.

For the purpose of preventing the cushion from slipping off the table it is provided with a tab or loop a, which may be hooked to a suitable nail or hook a, as shown in Fig. 2.

In place of the connecting-piece C and the bottom B a web D is shown in Figs. 5 to 9. In this case the ring-shaped cushion A is inverted or turned with the web I) when the same is passed through the inner circumference of the same.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown instead of an apron a conducting-chute E, which conducts the liquid from the pan to the receptacle below. The front upper part of the chute E is provided with a flexible piece of metal H, by means of which any shape may be given to the upper front part of the chute and also the upper front part held outwardly in a position adaptable for efficient working. In Figs. 7 and 8 the flexible piece is replaced by a contracted part F of the cushion A, and this part F supports the front upper part ofthe chute E, while the rear part of the same is supported by the bottom proper.

The advantages of our improved operatingcushions are that the same can be thoroughly cleaned in all parts by inverting the bottom through the encircling cushion, so that the cleaning liquid can get into the bights formed between the web and the ri1'1gshaped cushion, while by the construction of the apron with its flexible strips the bending of the apron into proper shape is readily and conveniently accomplished, and thereby the soiling of the operating-table, bed, or other support prevented.

The use of the chute prevents any possible spilling of the liquid, as the same is conducted effectively into the receptacle below.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A surgical operating-cushion, consisting of a ring-shaped cushion open at one end, an invertible bottom web, an intermediate web connecting the circumference of the cushion with the bottom web, and means for conducting off the liquid from the bottom of the cushion, substantially as set forth.

2. A surgical operating-cushion, consisting of a ring-shaped cushion proper open at one end, a bottom web connected with the periphery of the operating cushion, and means for conducting off the liquid from the bottom of the operating cushion, substantially as set forth.

3. A surgical operating-cushion, consisting of a ringshaped cushion open at one end, having an inflated part connecting the ends of said cushion so as to form a continuation of the same, and of smaller cross-section than that of the cushion proper, a bottom web for said cushion, and conducting means attached to the con necting part and to the front part of the bottom web, substantially as set forth.

4. A surgical operating-cushion, consisting of a ring-shaped cushion open at one end, a flexible member connecting the ends of the cushion, an invertible bottom Web for said cushion, and conducting means attached to the flexible connecting member and to the front part of the bottom web, substantially as set forth.

5. A surgical operating-cushion, consisting of a ring-shaped cushion open at one end, a bottom web connected with the circumference of the cushion, and an apron at the open end of the cushion, provided with transverse flexible strips at suitable distances from each other, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON C. EGGERS. ERASMUS STAHL. Vitnesses:

F. W. SOHAFFER, L. M. W oonroan. 

